My wife and I are followers of Christ. God drew us near about 6 months before we knew our son had autism. Shortly after our son was diagnosed I began to think about the question in the title of this blog. I had assumed that I knew the correct answer, but you know what they say about people who make assumptions, right? Being a man of the Lord, and also a man who believes the Bible is the living word of God, I wanted a solid Biblical answer to that question. And I found it.

And the answer affects all of our children, regardless of whether or not you put your faith in Christ. What you believe has no bearing on your child's ultimate destiny any more than if you didn't believe in gravity, but then you jumped from the fourth floor. You'd still have broken bones... and you'd believe in gravity after that! But the matter at hand is serious. Is your child going to eternal salvation or eternal condemnation? And how do you know for sure?

Follow up:

Romans 5:12 tells us "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men." If you don't study the Bible faithfully you may wonder what this passage means and why I'm bringing it up. This passage is one of many (including Ephesians 2:3 and Psalm 51:5) that makes it clear that all people are born into sin. We are sinful from the womb. Roman's 3:10 reiterates "There is no one righteous, not even one." When Adam ate the fruit, he tainted all of us. We all come from Adam and therefore inherit his original sin. This means that my autistic son, and your children as well, are sinful. Their nature is evident everyday, as children are rebellious and care most about themselves and getting their own needs met. We see this everyday.

The Bible also makes it clear that, as sinful people, we only have one way into heaven. That way is through faith in Jesus Christ, the son of God. In John 14:6 Jesus says, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." We are commanded to repent of our sins and put our faith in Jesus. Acts 17:30 reads, "he commands all people everywhere to repent." Moreover, we are commanded to be obedient to Him. 2 Thessalonians 1:8 makes it clear that "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus." If we do not obey, Hell awaits us. And it's a real place of suffering where nobody wants to end up.

What if your autistic child never repents and is never obedient to Christ? So long as he is never cognizant enough to accept or reject God he will be saved by grace. The Bible demonstrates this in a number of ways without directly saying it.

The following words are spoken by Job who was being tested. He was in great pain and misery when he made this statement. Although this passage of scripture doesn't say anything about children with disabilities it speaks volumes and is very applicable. Job knew babies go to heaven. He wouldn't have made this statement otherwise. Consider Job 3:11 - "Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?"

As a second bit of evidence let me put forth 2 Samuel 12:23 which says "But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." This is King David, a man after God's own heart, speaking to his servants after the Lord took his son, the son born to him through Bathsheba. David knew he would 'go to him' in heaven, but his son would 'not return' to him on Earth. David knew his son was in heaven!

Next I give you 1 Kings 14:12-13. These are God's words being spoken through a prophet. "When you set foot in your city, the boy will die. [13] All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the Lord, the God of Israel, has found anything good." Jeroboam was an evil man. But God found something GOOD even in his young son! And don't be deceived - it's not the child's age that matters, but his childlike mind.

Finally, as perhaps the strongest evidence that children go to heaven, we know Jesus turned away no children. Though they are sinful, yet Christ always holds a special place in his heart for children. These words were spoken to His disciples when they rebuked people who were attempting to bring children to Him. Mark 10:14-16 - "When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. [15] I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." [16] And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them."

What if your autistic child lives to be an adult though? Many people with autism will live to be adults. Any decent theologian (person who studies the Bible) will agree that this salvation for children is not based upon age, but on the condition of their mind. It's about having the mind of a child.

So your child with autism is bound for heaven. What a blessing! What tremendous comfort this should be to all of us! Praise God! The only question left is whether or not you are bound for heaven.